Electric switch.



1. M. NAUL.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APFLlCATlON FILED HAR. l0. I9I6-.

'15320,704. Patena Nov. 4,1919.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE. 1

JAMES M. NAUI., ory PLAINEIELD, NEW JERSEY, AS'sIGNoE, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, i

To AMERICAN BoscII MAGNETo CORPORATION, or NEW Yonx, N. Y., A Gourou;

TION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC" SWITCH.

Applcation filed March 10, 1916. Serial No. 83,371.

'To all whom t may (formera:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. NAUL, a citizen ot' the. United States.residingl at and I whose post-office address is 655 EastiSevcnth an oii'position at which sonic of the circuits controlled thereby areinterrupted and some are grounded, and also one or more operativepositions at which the several circuits are individually or collectivelyclosed, so that grounding or closing a certain circuit necessitates acertain connection for some or all voil: the other circuits. Forinstance, in the Well known form of combined lighting and ignitionswitch for automobiles, motor boats and the like, all the light ingcircuits must be interrupted to ground the magneto at the otl" position,and if some of the lights are to be left burning the magneto cannot begrounded by the switch. This'ariangenient is unsatisfactory because theoperator often wants to leave thc. moving vehicle at rest with somelights burning and yet desires to lock the n'iagneto in 'a ground -edposition to prevent unauthorized operation of the engine. Furthermore.the operator may want to stop the engine b vgrounding the magneto andyet the lights should not be extinguished. l

The switch herein disclosed is adapted to control a plurality ofcircuits. but it overcomes the disadvantages of the switch hereinbeforereferred to by providing a supplementary contact which is engaged inremoving thekev from its normal position in order to lock the switch inset position. In

using this switch to control lighting and ignition circuits. theinsulated electrode of the mechanical interruptor of the magneto isconnected to the supplementary contact and that contact is grounded whenthe key is being removed, irrespective of the Position i in which theswitch is locked. In ,the pretericdorm of Switch for this purpose, the

Specification of Letters Patent Patented NOV. 4, 1919-. i

insulated electrode is also connected to another contact which isgrounded when the switch isin the off position, irrespective of theposition of the key. Thus the magneto may be short-circuited by turningthe switch to o" position as heretofore, and also` the magneto may beshort-circuited to prevent unauthorized operation of the. engine byretive of whether lights are burning 'orare eX- olo S65 'A moving thekey to lock the switch, irrespectinguished. Furthermore, by bringingaboht the engagement of the supplementary contact during rotation ofthekey to its position of removal, the magneto maybe short-cir cuitedmerely by turning the key inthe lock.

I prefer to do this because the operator some-f times wants to shut oithe ignition when going along, while at the same time he does not wantto extinguish the lights and does not need to remove 4the key.

In the accompanying drawings illustratl ing the preferred form of switchin application, as an example. to lighting and ignition.

circuits, Figure 1 is a front view of the switch in off position, thekeybeing rei moved; Fig. 2 is a section through thev switch; Fig. 3 is arear view of the front part of t-he switch; Fig. 4 is a front view ofthe rear part of the switch; and Figs. and 6 are enlarged detail viewsshowing the position, respectively.

The switch has a cup-shaped casing 4.- of metal with a ange 5 adapted tobe screwed to a Support. The base block 6 of the insulating material isfastened to the casing by screwsv and forms therewith an incloscdsupplementary switch in closed and openlcavity yfor the reception of theoperating parts ot the switch, as will appear hereinafter.l The.operating handle 7 carries a spindle S ournaled centrally in the casingas shown and riveted to the lock plate 9, these parts being arranged toturn between the limits determined by the terminal faces ofthe boss 10.Six circuit contacts 11,11 and 11 of copper in the form of slotted studsare held rigidly in the base block and are engaged by binding postscrews to which circuit wires may be. attached at the back. The centralhollow stud i2 of copper has a connecting screw 13. andprovidcs at itsinner end a liournal on which' the switch arm can turn. The end of thejournalis forced 'the parts.

hack against the copper washer lo after the switch arm is in place onthe journal and Vforms a good electrical connection between The yswitcharm is made up of tw fo copper segments 16 spaced apart hy the metalwasher 17 and having opposite flanges of di'erentcxtent. lllhe ringr 18olf insulating material is riveted to the switch arm and is providedwith two holes 19 into which project two pins 2() from 'the rotatablelock plate 9. The slots in the two studs 11 and 11 are higher than thosein the other studs 11, and the two segments 1G are spaced apart to suchextent that the studs 11. and 11 are not engaged whereas the. studs 11kare engaged when the switch arm is moved past them upon turning thehandle 7. A bent copper strip 21 carried on the pins 20 and pressedagainst the ring 18 by an arched spring 22 passes over theA studs 11,hut engages the top of the stud 11j which -is 4longer than the studs 11,to ground ,it on the metal part of the casing when the switch .is turnedto ofi position.

The lockingmechanism comprises anemher 2? held in place in a cavity ofthe easing 4. hy the pin Q4 which projects from `the casing" almost hutnot quite to the center ol rotation of the memlier 23, and a key'I whichcan be inserted in place and witlr drawn therefrom. onlyy inthat\position wherein a eripheral part-2dA1 ofthe member sets in aperipheral vrecess oiI the lock plate 9. ln this position the lock platecannot he turned from ils set position, 'irrespective oit what positionthat may he, lout when 'the peripheral part 23a is turned hy the key 25somewhatless than 1800, in which position thekey can not. be removed.the, lock plate may' he turned without interference h v the peripheralpart 25 a of the member 23, since, that, part is then out oit registrywith the lock plate. A copper strip 2l; is mounted directly underneaththe men'lher and is so shaped that when the peripheral part r(.liseng'ag'ed from the lock plate7 the spring 27 forces the strip 2Gout of engagement with ,the stud 11', and when the meml'ier 23 is turnedsoithat the peripheral part thereof engages the lock plate, the strip isforced by the upper` face 231 of the memher 23 into engagement with thestud 11 to `ground tha t stud on thelcasing'. The two studs 11 and 11are eleetritallly connected by a wire 28 'fand the strip 2G i'orms 1n"ellect a switch blade guided in its movement to and from the stud 11"bythe pin 29.

The switch herein shown has four positions designated on the front ofits casingy hy 0, 1, 2,v 3, the position 0 being the .olif position `inwhiththe'strip 21 engages thestudili/ to lgrot nd it and in whielr'tl'iesegments 16 aredisengaged from all thestiids. 'In the osltion marked '1,as shown m Figs. Q and the wide flanges of the segments 16 engage` oneof the studs 1,1 to connect it to the screw 15S. In the position marked2, the two studs 11 on one side are engaged by the wider flangesy ol thesegments, and one stud 11 on theother side is engagefd hy the narrowsegments. ln the position marked 3, the same two studs 11 are engaged hythe wider flange, and the other stud 11 on the other side is engagedbythe narrow flanges. The stud 11H is intended to be electricallyeonnected to the insulated electrode oi the mechanical interruptor oi"the magneto, so that when the switch is turned to its oli position, orwhen the key Q5 is turned to the position in which it may he removedfrom the keyhole and in which the switch is locked against mowmenl, themagneto is short-cireluted and. discontinuos the generation ofI ignitionvoltages. The spring pressed hall 50 snaps into a recess of the lockplate 9 at each one o'l' its four positions tolightly hold the switch inthai position.

lt is apparent that the idea. herein dis closed oil engaging asupplementary contact or closing a supplementary switch in removing thekey to lock the switch in set position ma)Y he applied lo various formsof switches ior controlling' various kinds ofeircui'ts.

l Vclaim is: y A y 1, In an electric switch, a plurality 01E circuitcontacts. a switch arm engageahle successively with someo'l1 saidcircuit. con* tacta a supplei'nmitaryI contact electrically connected to:mother of said circuit contacts, a grounded meinher carried byv saidswitch arm and movable into engagement with said supplenrental-yiContactat one position oi the switch arrn, and mechanism. constructed andarranged to lock said switch arm in any of its successive` positions andto simultaneously ground said supplementary contact. A/

2. ln an electric switch, a plurality of circuit conta a switch armengageahle successively with some of said circuit contacts.,l asupplementary contact electrically connected to another of said circuitconfacts` a `@grounded member carried by said switch arm and n'iovahleinto engagement with said supplmnentary contact at one position )of theswitch armand mechanism ineludinp,l a removable key, which upon 'heinerturned to the position in which it may be removed, locks said switch armin its successive positions and simultaneously grounds saidsupplementary contact.

3. ln an. electric switch, a plurality of circuit contacts` a.switch-arm Aengageable 'successively with some of said, contacts, a yffroumiled member on the switcharm, an adl'lfaving thus deseriherhmyinvention, what iie any of I look seid switch-arm in any its Successivepositions and io Sinndt-neouely ground Said Second edditionzrl Contact.

4. In an electric switch, o. plnraiity of circuitcontente, a switch ermengageabie with said contacts in Suc-Cession, 2L supplement-ary Switch,and looking ineeimnisn'i inouding e plaie rotatable with tbe switch arm,a removable key and e ke r-ope ated membel` which, upon being turned toe position in which the key may be. reinoved, looks seid plato againstmovemen ai; any of its successive positione and also closes saidsupplementary switch.

5. in an eleotrieswitcb, e rotutnbie switch Shaft adapted to be tovarious positions, a. piee fixed on said switch shaft., e supplementaryswitch, und :i keyopera" memberbaving'tvf'o actuating parte .vbii'n, in'tbe position of Jabe member wherein release of the key is pennitted,lock seid plete in. :my of its' set positions end close Said supplemenery switch, and which, intbe position o1?. the niember whereinrelease oi? the key is precluded3 release said plete und open seidsupplementary switch. f

6. An electric switch comprising the combination of a plurality ofcontacts, a ro tambie switch-:mn adapted to be moved into and out ofengagement with said contacts, a. supplen'xentery Contact, a groundedmember carried by the Switch-erm and engaging tbe supplementary Contactin one position of the switch-arm, a second switch-arm, :L Contact withwhich the Second switch-arm cooperates7 e key-operated rotatable lockingdevice for holding die irst switcherm against movement, means foroperating the second switch arm by rota-tion of the looking device tolooking position, and means for sustaining e key in position foroperating seid rotatable locking device and for prec-hiding removal ofythe key except when the locking device is in looking position l Inteseimony whereof I eiiix my signature.

JAMES M. NL.

